Your baby at 5 weeks

Don't panic if your 5 week old baby is towards the bottom of the centile chart - every baby is different, growing and gaining weight at their own pace.

What’s happening with your baby?

What have I got here? She may not be able to reach for things herself, but if you put a toy in her hands she may hold onto it for a short while, and may even try to bring it towards her eyes to get a glimpse at what she’s got.

Watch me go! Smoother controlled movements are replacing more of her jerky movements – as she stretches and opens her body out. Her legs appear to ‘pedal’ as she kicks, for example

Focus! She’s starting to practise her ‘binocular’ vision - focusing both her eyes on an object at the same time, and is starting to see things further away from her. I’ve got my beady eye on you over there mummy!

How you can help your baby this week

Handy tricks: It won’t be long before she discovers exactly what her hands can do - she’ll enjoy all that grabbing she can get up to. Tickle, rub and pat her hands gently and offer her different textured objects and toys to touch and hold to make her more aware of her fingers.

Read to me: To strengthen her focusing skills, hold exciting objects in her line of vision. Why not lie on the bed with her and hold up a picture book to look at and read together. It’s never to early to introduce her to books and the more she’s spoken to, the better communicator she’ll be.

Your baby’s health

How does your baby grow? Don’t be too worried if she’s small and towards the bottom of the centile chart. As long as her rate of growth is steady , then there’s nothing to worry about. Everyone’s different after all!

Play ideas for your baby

Fingers and toes: Play ‘this little piggy’ – uncurling her fingers and toes and showing her hands to her as you do.

First rattle: Help her hold on to a rattle or similar toy by curling her fingers around it, then shake her hand so the rattle makes her noise. See her eyes widen with delight!